Bell Helicopter Textron

The thump-thump-thump of rotor blades above the South Bay is the sound of the world's largest civilian helicopter maker emerging from the economic downturn. After two years of layoffs and slumping sales, things are looking up for Robinson Helicopter Co., which for decades has manufactured low-cost helicopters for use by television news operations, banks transporting money between branches and, of course, police departments that depend on them for surveillance and rescue missions.

The Defense Department said today it wants to see the V-22 Osprey aircraft project shut down "in an orderly manner" but has no intention of providing any more federal funds to the two contractors involved. Reiterating Friday's announcement that no more money would be forthcoming for Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. and the Boeing Helicopter Co. for the project, the department said the political outcry after Defense Secretary Dick Cheney's decision to terminate the program was "not unexpected."

In the second accident in little more than a year, a V-22 Osprey crashed Monday as it approached an airfield at the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Va., where it was to undergo flight tests with Marines aboard. The accident casts further doubt on the fate of the hybrid aircraft that has been the object of endless wrangling between Congress and the Defense Department. Marine Corps officials said that the aircraft carried seven people, including several Marines. All were presumed dead.

Bell May Stop Work on V-22: Bell Helicopter Textron will begin layoffs next week unless the Pentagon restores funding for the Osprey V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, a company spokesman said. In a letter to the Defense Department, Bell said it would halt work on the program Friday and begin laying off about 2,000 employees Monday. Bell has been threatening to lay off employees in Ft. Worth, since last week, when it became clear the Osprey was in trouble. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced $10 billion in defense cuts--among them, the V-22 program.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has agreed to make improvements to its internal accounting system and, as a result, the Army is partially lifting a freeze on monthly contract payments, Army officials announced Thursday. Because of the company's willingness to establish new internal controls on contract claims, it will be eligible to receive full monthly progress payments on any contracts awarded after Aug. 8, the Army said.

In response to "2 City Purchases Reveal Products' Hybrid Origins," Feb. 25: In reference to Bell Helicopter, it is totally specious for Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division Capt. Robert Woods to say "to buy American in this case would mean paying for a helicopter produced in Canada by a Canadian work force." Bell Helicopter employs some 6,500 people in the United States; 3,000 of whom are directly involved in the manufacture and support of our commercial helicopters.

The Pentagon said Friday it had decided to proceed with full-scale development of a "tilt-rotor" airplane for the military dubbed the Osprey. The decision, disclosed in a statement and contract announcements, marks a Pentagon commitment to a program that could ultimately cost more than $20 billion for 913 planes. The planes would be used by the Marine Corps for troop assaults and by the Army, Navy and Air Force for rescue, medical evacuation and cargo lift missions, officials said.

In the second accident in little more than a year, a V-22 Osprey crashed Monday as it approached an airfield at the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Va., where it was to undergo flight tests with Marines aboard. The accident casts further doubt on the fate of the hybrid aircraft that has been the object of endless wrangling between Congress and the Defense Department. Marine Corps officials said that the aircraft carried seven people, including several Marines. All were presumed dead.

A top defense official said today the Pentagon is studying ways to grant at least a temporary reprieve to the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor program, which might avert threatened layoffs. Deputy Defense Secretary Donald Atwood, making his first Capitol Hill appearance since getting the No. 2 job at the Pentagon, told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee that two options are being examined and a decision should come "in a day or so." Atwood was peppered with questions about the program widely supported in Congress but canceled by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney as part of $10 billion in budget cuts.

In response to "2 City Purchases Reveal Products' Hybrid Origins," Feb. 25: In reference to Bell Helicopter, it is totally specious for Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division Capt. Robert Woods to say "to buy American in this case would mean paying for a helicopter produced in Canada by a Canadian work force." Bell Helicopter employs some 6,500 people in the United States; 3,000 of whom are directly involved in the manufacture and support of our commercial helicopters.

The Defense Department said today it wants to see the V-22 Osprey aircraft project shut down "in an orderly manner" but has no intention of providing any more federal funds to the two contractors involved. Reiterating Friday's announcement that no more money would be forthcoming for Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. and the Boeing Helicopter Co. for the project, the department said the political outcry after Defense Secretary Dick Cheney's decision to terminate the program was "not unexpected."

A top defense official said today the Pentagon is studying ways to grant at least a temporary reprieve to the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor program, which might avert threatened layoffs. Deputy Defense Secretary Donald Atwood, making his first Capitol Hill appearance since getting the No. 2 job at the Pentagon, told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee that two options are being examined and a decision should come "in a day or so." Atwood was peppered with questions about the program widely supported in Congress but canceled by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney as part of $10 billion in budget cuts.

Bell May Stop Work on V-22: Bell Helicopter Textron will begin layoffs next week unless the Pentagon restores funding for the Osprey V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, a company spokesman said. In a letter to the Defense Department, Bell said it would halt work on the program Friday and begin laying off about 2,000 employees Monday. Bell has been threatening to lay off employees in Ft. Worth, since last week, when it became clear the Osprey was in trouble. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced $10 billion in defense cuts--among them, the V-22 program.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has agreed to return $90 million to the U.S. government to resolve a Justice Department investigation into allegations that it fraudulently overcharged the Army on helicopter spare parts, sources said Wednesday. The agreement was described by a Pentagon official Wednesday as the largest settlement of a defense contracting fraud case to date. It is scheduled to be announced by U.S. Atty. Marvin L. Collins in Ft. Worth soon, possibly as early as Friday, sources said.

The Pentagon said Friday it had decided to proceed with full-scale development of a "tilt-rotor" airplane for the military dubbed the Osprey. The decision, disclosed in a statement and contract announcements, marks a Pentagon commitment to a program that could ultimately cost more than $20 billion for 913 planes. The planes would be used by the Marine Corps for troop assaults and by the Army, Navy and Air Force for rescue, medical evacuation and cargo lift missions, officials said.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has agreed to return $90 million to the U.S. government to resolve a Justice Department investigation into allegations that it fraudulently overcharged the Army on helicopter spare parts, sources said Wednesday. The agreement was described by a Pentagon official Wednesday as the largest settlement of a defense contracting fraud case to date. It is scheduled to be announced by U.S. Atty. Marvin L. Collins in Ft. Worth soon, possibly as early as Friday, sources said.

The thump-thump-thump of rotor blades above the South Bay is the sound of the world's largest civilian helicopter maker emerging from the economic downturn. After two years of layoffs and slumping sales, things are looking up for Robinson Helicopter Co., which for decades has manufactured low-cost helicopters for use by television news operations, banks transporting money between branches and, of course, police departments that depend on them for surveillance and rescue missions.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has agreed to make improvements to its internal accounting system and, as a result, the Army is partially lifting a freeze on monthly contract payments, Army officials announced Thursday. Because of the company's willingness to establish new internal controls on contract claims, it will be eligible to receive full monthly progress payments on any contracts awarded after Aug. 8, the Army said.